“Hands Off the Referee”: Civil society says political pressure on human rights courts risks damaging the ECHR system

15 May 2026

Civil society organisations in the UK and Ireland are concerned that the new Council of Europe political declaration on migration released on the 15th May at a Council of Ministers summit in Moldova reflects a growing pattern of political pressure on how human rights are interpreted and applied. While the declaration reaffirms commitment to the […]

An image of a hand with a red stop symbol across it against a background image of the Strasbourg court. The words - 'Hands Off!' are also displayed.

90 Groups and individuals North and South of Ireland Unite to Warn UK and Ireland Against Weakening Human Rights

11 May 2026

Over 90 civil society groups, academics and activists from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have issued a stark warning to the UK and Irish Governments ahead of a key Council of Europe meeting, saying that proposed political moves on migration risk weakening the European Convention on Human Rights itself. In a joint letter, groups caution that language under discussion risks legitimising […]

A collection of animated images of people from different backgrounds and cultures with the words 'Either Everyone has Human Rights, or no one does!' 'Every person deserves to live with dignity, freedom, and equality. Don’t let our common rights be removed or undermined. We are all human.' and 'Defend the European Convention on Human Rights'

Standing Together for Human Rights: Consortium Joins 300 Organisations in Defending the ECHR

03 November 2025

Standing Together for Human Rights: Consortium Joins 300 Organisations in Defending the ECHR To mark the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) on the 4th November 2025, the Consortium has proudly joined nearly 300 organisations and charities from across the UK in signing a powerful joint statement affirming our collective commitment […]

A Dangerous Game: Why Attacks on the ECHR Threaten Peace in Northern Ireland

07 September 2025

The Human Rights Consortium and its member organisations have firmly and unequivocally opposed recent proposals by Policy Exchange and Reform UK to withdraw the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). These proposals are not just legally reckless, they are politically incendiary. They represent a direct assault on the foundations of the Belfast/Good […]

A hand tries to steal a copy of the ECHR.

Consortium Condemns Proposals to Withdraw from ECHR: A Threat to Peace and Rights

21 July 2025

The Human Rights Consortium has denounced proposals by Suella Braverman MP and Baroness Arlene Foster which call for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and repeal the Human Rights Act (HRA). The Consortium has labelled the proposals “legally and morally flawed, politically reckless and constitutionally dangerous.” A Direct Threat […]

A hand held up with the words 'Human Rights' painted on it.

Resisting the Rwanda Act Strategies and Implications for Northern Ireland

04 June 2024

Watch the recording of a critical discussion of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act to explore its consequences for human rights protections in Northern Ireland and the opportunities for challenging it. This recorded event provides the opportunity to explore the legal, political, and lived experience impacts of the legislation in the wider context […]

Human Rights Consortium says government should abandon cruel Rwanda policy

23 April 2024

The Human Rights Consortium has expressed profound concern as the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act passed its final stages in Parliament. This Act breaches the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement through attacks on the European Convention on Human Rights and disregard shown to the rights protections afforded by the Windsor Framework, contradicting the UK’s established […]

Civil society call on Prime Minister to abandon Rwanda Bill

21 March 2024

Fifteen civil society organisations from Northern Ireland, coordinated by the Human Rights Consortium and The PILS Project, wrote to the Prime Minister on 20th March calling on him to withdraw the potentially unlawful Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill. The letter highlighted our concerns that the bill violates the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the […]

Human Rights Consortium Reacts to High Court Judgment on the Legacy Act

29 February 2024

The Human Rights Consortium, a coalition of 160 NGOs dedicated to a rights based society, welcomes the significant ruling yesterday in the High Court that the immunity provisions of the Legacy Act breach the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and Article 2 of the Windsor Framework. This ruling underscores the ongoing importance of Article […]

Rwanda Bill: An Attack on Fundamental Rights

08 December 2023

The UK government this week introduced the ‘Safety of Rwanda Bill’ to limit the use of human rights laws to challenge their attempts to automatically remove asylum seekers to Rwanda. The Human Rights Consortium has criticized the introduction of the Bill as a violation of basic human rights guarantees of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, the […]